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Holland America Line Passport Requirements for Cruises

Passports are required for all travelers, including citizens of U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter the United States by air, land or sea.

Regarding Holland America Line to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda, there is a notable exception to this US passport rule, pertaining to land and sea crossings for US Citizens.

US Citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port) and travel to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Bermuda are able to re-enter the United States with proof of citizenship other than a passport or passport card. Acceptable proof of citizenship includes an original or certified copy of a government issued birth certificate (raised seal and signature) and a laminated government issued picture ID (typically, driver's license), Consular Report of Born Abroad Certificate, or a Certificate of Naturalization. NOTE: Baptismal records and certificates issued by a hospital are not acceptable.

Do I Need A Passport?

Holland America Line highly recommends that all guests carry a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your travel. Having a passport will enable you to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event you miss your scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if you need to disembark the ship mid-cruise due to an emergency.

PLEASE NOTE: It is your sole responsibility to obtain and have available the proper travel documents that are necessary for your travel, including all costs related to arrangements to obtain entry to countries you visit and re-entry to your destination country. Boarding may be denied or fines may be levied against those guests without proper documentation. Payment of any fines levied is the responsibility of the individual guest.

For U.S. and Canadian Citizens:

Travel by Land or Sea :
Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and whether international flights are required. For voyages that are scheduled to end outside the U.S., a passport that is valid for six months beyond the completion date of your travel is required. Passports or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant documents are required for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal. U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 16 and above may present one of the following valid WHTI-compliant documents:

Passport (recommended travel document) (valid for travel by air, land and sea)

For a list of approved documents visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_2223.html

*The EDL driver's license, or non-driver photo identification, is offered in the U.S. states of Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, to applicants that can prove identity and citizenship. Please note the EDL is not the same as an Enhanced (or Endorsed) Commercial Driver's License.

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises: U.S. citizens on cruises in the Western Hemisphere that originate and terminate in the same U.S. port are required to have proof of citizenship such as a valid US passport or a government issued birth certificate combined with a government issued photo I.D. Other approved proof of citizenship documents such as a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or certificate of naturalization along with a government-issued photo ID are also acceptable. A passport is still the preferred document. PLEASE NOTE –WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents when entering foreign countries, including some countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Recent guidance from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the documentary requirements under WHTI for closed-loop cruises are not limited to cruises that travel only to contiguous territories or adjacent islands. This means U.S. citizens calling on ports in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Belize will also be exempt from the passport requirement.

Birth certificates from Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010 are not valid forms of proof of citizenship that is accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Guests from Puerto Rico either need to present a WHTI-compliant document or a government-issued photo identification with a validated birth certificate issued after July 1, 2010.

NON-US Citizens, US Citizens on open-loop cruses (being and end in different ports) and passengers on cruises that stop at ports in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antartica ALL require a valid passport, and in some cases a visa as well as a copy of your Alien Registration Card (Green Card).

Passports and Visas.com is based in Miami, Florida and assists travelers going on a cruise with obtaining an expedited passport, passport renewal, or other passport or visa services. If you need a US passport quickly for your cruise, Passports and Visas.com is a private company that works with the Passport Agency to obtain your US passport application in as fast as 24 hours, with services starting at $59.

We are a nationally recognized US Passport and visa service by the Washington Post, New York Times and USA Today. Our team has been getting passports and visas for over 15 years.

The benefits of using our private passport expediting service are :

You can get your passport back as fast as the same day we receive your application materials.

Our service is guaranteed; if you don't make your trip - the passport is on us.

You will see online real-time tracking of your order.

We are based in Miami, Florida - not far from many embarkation ports (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach)

Need to know about passports or visas? Contact us or review our Travel Document Learning Center.